PACK LINE DEFENSE LOW POST DEFENSE & DEFEATING BALL SCREENS Session II

It’s More Than X’s & O’s PACK LINE DEFENSE

* Players Do Not Have Bad Days, Coaches DO!

* Again, Pack Line Defense, it’s a mindset… a Belief System…we do not have an Alternate Defense. * Numerous Ways to Defend the Low Post and Ball Screens, this is what 32 Years have Taught us. Dictates Everything

Low Post Defensive Keys & Teaching Points: 1) Fight to Keep the Ball out of the Low Post TP: 3/4 Top Side - Keep Your Feet Active Chin on Top Shoulder - No Lobs Know Your Slip 2) On the Pass - Slide Behind - This is Our Time TP: DO NOT GAMBLE FOR A Shade the Baseline Shoulder Low-Wide-Big…No Angles to Rim! 3) Choke and Dig with Perimeter Defenders TP: Quarter Deny with Feeder - Consistency Choke: Rule of Thumb is 50/50 911 on Dribble, Dig it Out Low Post Keys & Teaching Points: 1) Fight to Keep the Ball out of the Low Post Do not just concede the pass because we are Red TP: 3/4 Top Side - Keep Your Feet Active Chin on Top Shoulder - No Lobs Know Your Slip Point 2) On the Pass - Slide Behind - This is Our Time TP: DO NOT GAMBLE FOR A STEAL Shade the Baseline Shoulder Vision is your Best Friend! 3) must get there on the Catch! TP: Come High and Hard - Be Aggressive Must Talk it Loud - ELO - RED, RED, RED Working to Take Away Vision - No Skips Perimeter RED Keys: All Bets are Off on Feed to Low Post Must Shrink the Floor & Zone Lane

1) Feeder Defender “Locks-up” Feeder

TP: Do not allow a quick return pass 1/4 Deny - No Back Cuts - Force Pass Out

2) Closest Perimeter to the Baseline is our RIM PROTECTOR

TP: ELO - Talk it Loud and Get to the Rim You’ve got to be a Pit Bull here, No Poodles Cannot allow a Cutter between You and the Ball

3) Top Defender takes the FT/ Area and Zones up

TP: Best Interceptor - Must Read the Ball’s Eyes See it all - No One Cuts Behind You ROTATIONS: Our Base Rules

1) Pass to the Top: Top Guard has Pass out of Trap Closeout with High Hands Rim Gets to the Gap/his Man - Stunt Red Sprints off Trap to the Rim Look for Man - Lowest to Baseline Hit on Recovery if in the Low Post

2) Skip to Wing: Try to Avoid this Pass - Do not Allow! Top Defender has All Skips to Help-side Rim Defender must Protect Inside-Out Rim Defender Recovers off Top Closeout Red Sprints Off the Trap Along Baseline

3) Dribble Out: Stay with the Double until Ball is Passed Dribble Used: RED – RED - RED Top Read Eyes & Shoulders RED ON THE POST • 3/3 Perimeter with 2 Release • 2/2 Inside with 3 Release • 5/5 Red on Low Post • 5/5 Multiple Actions

 On air time, post defender should slide behind and place nose on offensive player’s baseline shoulder  Opposite post defender anticipates the RED and traps on air time yelling “RED-RED-RED” with hands up  Offense should not be able to go baseline or split the trap  Trap will stay with offense until Ball is passed out  Any pass to top or other side of the court should have to go over outstretched hands  Any type of offense can be run  Coach can designate whether 1 post is doubled or both  On pass into the post: . Ballside denies the wing pass out . 2 posts double the post with hands up . A guard must be protecting the rim . A guard must be at the nail hole seeing it all

SPECIAL SITUATIONS:

• Feeder Screens: Switch it - Must Talk it Loud & Early

• Big to Big Feed: No Red

• Stretch Fours: “Switch Four” Red Sprints off and takes Lowest Base Line Make him a Jump Shooter Our Thoughts: 1) Do not allow the Ball to Beat Us 2) Make the Big Shoot Contested Jumpers 3) Defend Areas & Personnel – Shrink Floor Keys to Success: 1) Communication A Ball cannot occur without a Screen 2) Consistency of Execution Our Game Prep Begins the First Day of Practice Teach in Three Layers: 1) On Ball Defender 2) Screener Defender 3) Off Ball Defenders This is a FIVE Man Proposition We must be Connected! SIDE BALL SCREENS: HARD SHOW

LAYER ONE: Body-up Force to Screen Body-in Get into the Ball Body Over Arch and Over

LAYER TWO: Cannot Get There too Early – Hands Down Same Boards - Force Ball to the North Take Two Steps with Ball Go to Body - Hit on Recovery

LAYER THREE: Again, Defending the Ball Screen is a 5 Man Proposition, Takes Everyone being Involved. Shrink the Court - All Bets are Off Be Active & Alert - Communication MIDDLE BALL SCREEN: LEVEL SHOW

LAYER ONE: Body-up, Body-in, Body, Over Remain “Hip Pocket” until Ball Passed Square-up the Ball on Recovery LAYER TWO: Level with the Screen – Mirror the Ball Stay Squared – Cannot Get Turned Sideways NO DRIBBLE AROUNDS Motor Running – Stay with Ball until Passed Low - Wide - Big - Hands Down ACTIVE – Keep Feet Moving

LAYER THREE: Shrink Positions – We are Zoning the Ball Ball Coming to You: Sit on Fence Ball Going Away From You: Tag the Roll Stunt to Ball: Active & Alert PACK LINE DEFENSE TROUBLE SHOOTING Things that will Kill your Defense

1) Poor Closeouts: Cannot give-up Direct Drives or Rhythm Jumpers - Must Have High Hands and Know who you are Guarding. We don’t like to switch for this reason, not switching allows us to lock into our Match-up, who we are defending. I want my best guarding your best!

2) Getting Stretched: Cannot wander outside of the Pack Line. Stay in your Gap - Do not become too Man Oriented. 3) Going for Fakes or Helping up the Floor: Stay on the Floor - High Hands - Bigs Cannot Help-up or Over Help. 4) Lunging or Reaching: Hands on the Glass, stay Balanced. 5) Being Late to Positioning or to the Post: Standing Must be Active and Alert in Gaps, we say, “Motors Running”. 6) Too Low in Gaps: Too Safe, causes us to have to move to help and forces long closeouts. Use of Gap Line. 7) Silence: Talking is the Glue, gives you a head start, helps your teammates, and can intimate the Offense. ELO: Early Loud Often